The present invention relates to a trap shooting system, More particularly, this invention concerns a target pigeon and apparatus for throwing such a target pigeon for shooting practices.
In trap or target-pigeon shooting a target pigeon is thrown up in the air to simulate a bird being driven out of the brush and the shooter, usually armed with a shotgun, fires at this target to sharpen his abilities for actual wing shooting. In order to maximize the effectiveness of such a practice, it is necessary that the trap or target pigeon be launched into the air in a manner closely resembling a bird in flight. Since, however, there are many different behavior patterns in game birds, it is necessary that some of the traps be shot straight up at a high speed, some fired out low and almost parallel to the ground, others be given a spin so as to change course, and various other random patterns must be duplicated.
The most widely used trap launcher simply has a spring-loaded arm on whose end the frangible target pigeon is secured. The arm is displaced back against the force of a spring and locked in place by a pawl which, when released, allows the arm to snap up and launch the pigeon into the air. Such a device is normally operated by a person other than the shooter from a pit at the end of the shooting range, or can be operated by the shooter himself through a trip cable. In order to vary the path or trajectory of the target it is necessary to reset the spring and physically turn the entire device around. Thus the possibility of reproducing random flight patterns is relatively difficult.
It has also been suggested to provide a pigeon which functions aerodynamically so that it can be launched and caused to follow its own trajectory. Nevertheless, the provision of the necessary launch arrangement has proven extremely complex and troubleprone. The use of an electric motor to launch the pigeon has been recommended, but the only way varying speeds and trajectories have been obtainable has been to use a direct-current motor in conjunction with complicated control circuitry. Such an arrangement is very troublesome and misfunctions often. Furthermore, the provision of a random firing angle, or range angle to be distinguished from the elevation angle which is the angle relative to the horizontal with which the pigeon is fired, has not been satisfactorily resolved.